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. i , | t t I , i " * " 1 c 1 1 j | | J I S 1 i t WILCOX BILL PASSES SECOND READING. That Some Restrictions Will Bo Placed on Racing in Canada Seems Assured. Toronto, Ont.. February 5. — The Globe prints the following dispatch from Ottawa: Parliament Wednesday approved the principle of the OUtcr Wilcox bill to further restrict the location of race tracks and the number of days of racing in any county. This measure wis given a second reading and will be referred to a special committee for immediate consideration and report. There was manifest a strong sentiment among tin-members in favor of prohibiting all further racing in Canada until after the war, the declaration of W. E. Knowles. Moose Jaw. to this effect producing vigorous cheering from both sides of the chamber. There was also considerable caustic criticism of the Ontario government for granting licenses to resurrected charters and thereby multiplying the number of racing days in certain localities beyond the intent of the existing legislation. Both leaders followed the debate closely throughout, and indicated approval of the war prohibition sentiment. Conditions at Windsor furnished reason for the proposed bill and the debate. Premier Borden saiil it was manifest that the racing interest had exercised a flank movement against the desire of parliament as expressed in legislation. This must be remedied. Some legislation was necessary, but he feared the bill in its present form was not practicable. Tie- matter Would be considered, and he suggested the bill get a second reading and be referred to a special esosmtttee. Stop All Racing During the War. W. E. Knowles Moose law, in losing the discussion, said he had not supported the Miller bill, but had strong sympathy with the present measure. He would support anything to reduce racing during the war. He would go further and stop all racing during the war. Cheers. It was a disgraceful sight during the war to see at race tracks lid. MM men and women — some of the women "dressed in mens clothes and the rest like dolls." He would rather be a party to coni] cnsation than continue racing operations during the war. Mr. Wilcox moved the second reading of his bill with an impassioned speech. He went after the social reformers and the racing promoters by turns, and vigorously defended Sir Allen Ayiesworth and the parliamentary committee which sat upon the Miller bill in 1910 from the alleged reflections of W. E. Haney. K. C. "in e long article in the Toronto Globe written by Mr. Haney on behalf and in the interests of the Social Reform Council of Canada." The present statute. Mr. Wilcox maintained. Mas calculated to deal effectively with abuses which had been -lie extendi,.- at race meetings. The legislation had not been effective. Provinces had granted additional charters by reviving old ones. Speculative racing men had "broken through the statute — treated it as a scrap of paper-by digging up antediluvian charter! and galvanizing them into life." By this means they had added new tracks in the same communities where others were operating, and there resulted a greater number of days of racing in these communities than there were before tin legislation of 1910. which had aimed at limiting this evil. He was not advocating total suppression, but if this kind of thing was permitted to go on at Windsor, parliament would be asked to stop the whole thing. American speculators and gamblers yvere taking advantage of the existing situation a Windsor. Resents Mr. Nelsons Comment. Mr. Wilcox complained that Francis Nelson, sporting editor of The Globe, whom he described as "a callable, courteous and kindly gentleman." had not been fair in the treatment of the bill now before the house. Mr. Nelson, said the North F.ssex member, in addition to being sporting editor of The Globe, was "the servant of the Racing Associations." "He cast aspersions which were not fair to me," declared Mr. Wilcox. "I happened to make reference to the fact that the Windsor tracks were dominated by American influence, but in his columns he at once sets up an argument about all the business men of Detroit coming over to invest their money in Windsor." Mr. Wilcox said he desired to encourage the visits of "the great public" from the other side, but "as for these speculators, which many of the states have legislated out of legal existence. I absolutely refuse to have my constituency made the spot for a surplus of this kind." Hon. Robert Rogers — Hear, hear! Premier Borden asked Mr. Wilcox if race track gambling was permitted under lew in the State of Michigan. Mr. Wilcox said it was not. either in Michigan or New York. It was carried on to some extent, but was prohibited by law. He objected to the Provincial Government allowing more tracks in his con-r stituencj . A fourth had now been granted, and there was a probability of a fifth being granted soon by the treasury department of the Ontario government. With three the county had forty two days racing: with four it had fifty-six days racing; while, if there were five, there would be seventy days racing. Limitation and Regulation Needed, The duplication of tracks should be stopped, Mr. Wilcox maintained, and there should be a tax for the license after a reasonable profit is made. The provincial treasurer should apportion the dates among the various tracks, and he thought proper legislation would result in the various tracks hav -[ ing to unite. One difficulty with the associations at present was their objection to employing Canadian labor. W. D. Northrup East Hastings said that the difficulty with the legislation proposed was that it lacked machinery to make it useful. There was an evil which needed to be reformed, but he did not think the provincial treasurer should be asked to allocate the dates. He proposed that the bill be sent to the minister of justice, and subsequently referred to a Special committee for consideration. W. M. Genaaa Welland feared the bill would destroy legitimate racing. He pointed out that one clause provided that no track should be within fifty mile of another. This would interfere with the tracks in Hamilton and Toronto, which were less than fifty miles apart. Mr. German maintained that the trouble lay in the weak manner in which the law had been administered by the provincial government of Ontario, and the way in which it had multiplied charters. The remedy was to get after the provincial government, which could withhold a license from any track. Tracks Must Conform to Law. Mr. Wib-ox interposed that the charters had been submitted to the best legal men. and they had rated that if the race plants were built according to the charters the licenses could not be withheld. "Inder the law I cannot see how three race tracks can exist within three- miles of the city of Windsor." commented Mr. German. "They are- there all right." retorte-d Mr. Wilcox. "They are- only there- by the grace- of the- Ontario government." declared Mr. German. "Racing at Windsor is a disgrace- to the country." "Is it not possible to limit racing to fourteen days in one county V" asked Mr. Wile-ox. "There are many good tracks." replied Mr. Ger-Btan. "Why destroy- legitimate racing to prevent 1 nited States racing men from establishing racetracks here."
